How to avoid being a victim of the scam

Williams of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said by paying the $100 "fine," victims are playing right into the hands of the scammers.

"The number one thing that we beg that consumers do is to not send the money," he said.

"If they do, all they’re doing is making organized crime $100 or $200 richer, and of course the scammers are going to do nothing to remove the virus from your computer."

And to remove it, victims of the scam will have to pay a technician to clean out the virus. Williams said much of the information online about how to remove the malware can actually lead to more malware, not to mention fake solutions.

"Unless you’re really computer savvy, the safest bet would be to bite the bullet and disconnect your computer and have a local technician clean it out thoroughly," he said.

Howard Leventhal of Illinois claimed to be a Canadian deputy health minister to get investments in a tablet that could instantaneously deliver patient information to doctors.

“In Leventhal’s world, the truth was cloaked by his web of lies and impersonation,” U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a news release. “His actions were the stuff of fantasy and science fiction, valid only in another dimension.”

Under his company’s name, Neovision USA Inc., Leventhal told prospective clients he had a large contract with Health Canada, according to the release.

Leventhal also gave clients a written agreement apparently signed by former Deputy Minister Glenda Yeates, who retired this August.

He created a fake cover website mimicking the actual Health Canada website and URL — healthcanada.com.co and hc-sg-gc.ca instead of hc-sc.gc.ca.

Friday, December 20, 2013

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's highest court struck down the country's anti-prostitution laws in their entirety Friday, including against keeping a brothel.

The 9-0 Supreme Court ruling is a victory for sex workers seeking safer working conditions because it found that the laws violated the guarantee to life, liberty and security of the person. But the ruling won't take effect immediately because it gave Parliament a one-year reprieve to respond with new legislation.

Prostitution isn't illegal in Canada, but many of the activities associated with prostitution are classified as criminal offences.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Apple records, via the Universal Music Group, were widely rumoured to be reluctantly releasing a cache of rare Beatle tracks via iTunes today in order to comply with copyright law. But scour the site for the mythical Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963 and they are nowhere to be found.

Early reports suggest that 2 hours and 29 minutes' worth of Beatles archive recordings appeared on iTunes sites in the early hours of Tuesday morning around the world before being taken down shortly afterwards. The staged release seems to have started in Asia, Australia and New Zealand with further reports of appearances in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon. CNN reports that the recordings briefly surfaced at midnight in the UK. None of these iTunes sites currently host the tracks. If fans didn’t download them in that brief and unadvertised window, it is already too late.

Friday, December 13, 2013

On Thursday I served Rob Ford with a libel notice, the first step in the process of pursuing a defamation lawsuit. I also served Vision TV, which twice broadcast Ford’s vile and defamatory remarks to Conrad Black even though their interview was filmed days before it aired.
It had become clear to me that, if I had done nothing, the mayor would make his smears some sort of political talking point.

His comments to Black were no one-time slip; they seemed to be the first shots in a bewildering campaign against my good name. At a Tuesday news conference, he pointedly said he stands by “every word.” Today, he repeated many of his false claims on American radio.
No matter how much stress a legal battle might add to my personal and professional life, it is, simply, now necessary.

I’m asking Ford to immediately retract the false insinuation that I am a pedophile and all of his false statements about my conduct on May 2, 2012. I’m also asking Ford and Vision owner ZoomerMedia to apologize immediately “publicly, abjectly, unreservedly and completely.”

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Alureon is a trojan and bootkit which is designed, amongst other things, to steal data by intercepting a system's network traffic and searching it for usernames, passwords and credit card data.[1]Following a series of customer complaints, Microsoft determined that Alureon was the cause of a series of BSoD problems on some 32-bit Microsoft Windows systems which were triggered when some assumptions made by the malware author(s) were broken by update MS10-015.[2][3]

According to research by Microsoft, Alureon was the second most active botnet in the second quarter of 2010.[4]

(pop-up alert about trojan, virus, in win32)

Twice I've had a pop-up small window looking exactly like a Microsoft Security Essentials warning about 3 threats to my computer. One was a trojan, another was a virus, and I cannot recall the 3rd, but all had to do with files (Ithink) in win 32 and needed to be scanned and cleaned immediately. As I approached my search box to check the warning's validity, the little window disappeared entirely, but I tried to see where the infection were before they were gone. Both yesterday and today, that same alert appeared on the same site of a forum I belong to. I did a complete scan of more than 1 million areas of my laptop and it found nothing. I'm assuming something is trying to infect my computer, but is it already infected? If it shows up again, I'll write down the files it claims are infected, but where is that alert coming from, other than already having an infection that is not being picked up by MSE? There was one word that jumped out at me for being incorrectly spelled. Where do I go from here?

I have Internet Explorer 8...v. 9.0.8

Vista Home Premium...32 bit system...service pack 2

Microsoft Security Essentials

Auto-Update

Techie Says:

Unfortunately, these type of malware attacks are difficult to keep up with because they trick you into letting them install. They usually come from an infected web site, and usually through an advertisement. You get a pop-up from the infection and you click it to close the pop-up - which allows the infection to install. They can also be delivered in a "drive-by" fashion with no action needed by the user due to the system being unpatched, no matter what security software is running.

While the rootkit is generally able to hide itself very effectively, circumstantial evidence of the infection may be found by examination of network traffic with a packet analyzer or of outbound connections (netstat). Sometimes the existing security software on the computer will report it, but mostly not.

It may be useful to perform an offline scan of the infected system after booting an alternative operating system

such as WinPE, as the malware will attempt to prevent security software from updating.

The "FixMbr" command of the Windows Recovery Console and manual replacement of atapi.sys may be required to disable the rootkit functionality before anti-virus tools are able to find and clean an infection.[citation needed]

On November 9, 2011, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced charges against 6 Estonian nationals and 1 Russian national in conjunction with Operation GhostClick. The U.S. is currently[when?] seeking to extradite them for running a sophisticated operation that used Alureon to infect millions of computers worldwide.[citation needed]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alureon#Removal

(CNN) -- The sign language interpreter widely ridiculed for his performance at the Nelson Mandela memorial stands by his work.
Thamsanqa Jantjie told CNN affiliate Radio 702 in Johannesburg that he is a fully qualified interpreter and has been trusted in the past with other big events.
"I've interpreted in many press conferences, including the presidential conference," he said. "There was no one at all that said I interpreted wrong."
Not so, says the head of the South Africa Translators' Institute.
There were complaints last year after Jantjie interpreted the proceedings at the ruling African National Conference elective conference, the institute's chairman Johan Blaauw told the South African Press Association.

And this...'Fake interpreter'
The national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa sees it differently. He called Jantjie a "fake interpreter."
"The deaf community is in outrage," said Bruno Druchen. "He is not known by the Deaf Community in South Africa nor by the South African Sign Language interpreters working in the field."
The man showed no facial expressions, which are key in South African sign language, and his hand signals were meaningless, Druchen said. "It is a total mockery of the language," he added.
The service to commemorate Mandela, who died last week at 95, was broadcast to millions of viewers.

Uruguay becomes first country to legalize marijuana tradeWhen the law is implemented in 120 days, Uruguayans will be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year.

By Malena Castaldi and Felipe Llambias, Reuters

Uruguay became the first country to legalize the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana on Tuesday, a pioneering social experiment that will be closely watched by other nations debating drug liberalization.

A government-sponsored bill approved by 16-13 votes in the Senate provides for regulation of the cultivation, distribution and consumption of marijuana and is aimed at wresting the business from criminals in the small South American nation.

Cannabis consumers will be able to buy a maximum of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) each month from licensed pharmacies as long as they are Uruguayan residents over the age of 18 and registered on a government database that will monitor their monthly purchases.

When the law is implemented in 120 days, Uruguayans will be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year.

Registered drug users should be able to start buying marijuana over the counter from licensed pharmacies in April.

"We begin a new experience in April. It involves a big cultural change that focuses on public health and the fight against drug trafficking," Uruguay's first lady, Senator Lucía Topolansky, told Reuters.

Uruguay's attempt to quell drug trafficking is being followed closely in Latin America where the legalization of some narcotics is being increasingly seen by regional leaders as a possible way to end the violence spawned by the cocaine trade.

Rich countries debating legalization of pot are also watching the bill, which philanthropist George Soros has supported as an "experiment" that could provide an alternative to the failed U.S.-led policies of the long "war on drugs."

The bill gives authorities 120 days to set up a drug control board that will regulate cultivation standards, fix the price and monitor consumption.

The use of marijuana is legal in Uruguay, a country of 3.3 million that is one of the most liberal in Latin America, but cultivation and sale of the drug are not.

Other countries have decriminalized marijuana possession and the Netherlands allows its sale in coffee shops, but Uruguay will be the first nation to legalize the whole chain from growing the plant to buying and selling its leaves.

Several countries such as Canada, the Netherlands and Israel have legal programs for growing medical cannabis but do not allow cultivation of marijuana for recreational use.

Last year, the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington passed ballot initiatives that legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana.

Uruguay's leftist president, Jose Mujica, defends his initiative as a bid to regulate and tax a market that already exists but is run by criminals.

"We've given this market as a gift to the drug traffickers and that is more destructive socially than the drug itself, because it rots the whole of society," the 78-year-old former guerrilla fighter told Argentine news agency Telam.

"Everybody talks about how horrible this website is and all the glitches and stuff, but I tell you, it was the best experience I ever had shopping for insurance," said Rawlings, who owns an architectural design firm. Rawlings chose the highest level of coverage, a Platinum plan that includes dental benefits, for $550 a month, or about $50 more than he pays for a medical-only policy for just himself this year. He earns too much to qualify for tax credits to reduce his premiums.

WASHINGTON -- More than two months after Obamacare's ugly debut, the number of Americans using the system is starting to grow: Nearly 1.2 million people are on track to have health coverage in place next year from the law's health insurance exchanges, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.

From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, almost 365,000 people enrolled into private health insurance via the federal and state marketplaces and more than 803,000 were deemed eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, according to the department.

The federally run exchanges in more than 30 states accounted for 137,000 of the enrollments in private coverage, and the remaining states signed up 227,000. About 1.9 million more people had been determined eligible for coverage through the marketplaces, but hadn't yet chosen a health plan. The new data don't include an apparent flurry of enrollments in the early days of December.

Monday, December 9, 2013

(a candidate for Mississauga East-Cooksville in the last Ontario election)

The last words of a Toronto woman who died after reaching the summit of Mount Everest were "save me," says a close friend.

Climbers normally are advised not to try for the summit after 11 a.m. The area above the last camp at the South Col is nicknamed the "death zone" because of the steep icy slope, treacherous conditions and low oxygen level.

Shriya Shah-Klorfine of Toronto was one of four people who died while descending from the summit Saturday in what are being described as overcrowded conditions.

An estimated 150 climbers tried to reach the top Friday and Saturday as they rushed to use a brief window of good weather in an otherwise troubled climbing season. Many had been waiting at a staging camp for several days for their chance to head to the summit.

"There was a traffic jam on the mountain on Saturday. Climbers were still heading to the summit as late as 2:30 p.m., which is quite dangerous," Shrestha said.

Shah-Klorfine was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, grew up in Mumbai, India and then moved to Canada to be with her husband and start an import business, SOS Splash of Style Inc. Last year, Shah-Klorfine was a candidate for Mississauga East-Cooksville in the last Ontario election as a member of the Paramount Canadians Party.

"It was her lifelong dream" to reach the summit of the world's tallest peak, said Siddoo. She said Shah-Klorfine and her parents had taken a helicopter to Everest when she was a nine-year old girl, and she had been fixated on climbing the mountain ever since.

It was Shah-Klorfine's first trek to the 8,850-metre peak. Her godfather, Bikram Lamba, said she mortgaged her house to pay for the expedition, at a cost of nearly $100,000.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Cato, a dog caught on camera sneaking in and out of the store's sliding doors and stealing items whenever opportunity knocked. Store manager Anastasia Polson told Fox Carolina they were aware of several thefts but weren't sure what to make of the situation until they checked the security cameras. Once they realized they were up against one bad dog, Polson says they called the police.

In hindsight (or is that houndsight?) it should have been obvious, based on the items that went missing: pig ears, beef bones, dog food and assorted other treats. (Burying them in the backyard)The Huffington Post

The killer, known only as Detlef G, a 55-year-old chief inspector with the Saxon Germany state police, reportedly has told investigators that he met his victim through a cannibalism website that hooks up those who want to dine on human flesh with those hoping to be eaten. He's reportedly confessed to stabbing the 59-year-old German businessman in the neck. He admits he butchered the body and buried the pieces around his rustic bed and breakfast in the Ore Mountains, along the German border with the Czech Republic.

But, in his defence, he says he didn't eat his victim—not any part of the man Dresden police have identified as Wojciech S.

Detlef G. goes on to note that he didn't use his victim sexually, either.

He just killed him. And, he's told police, he killed him only because Wojciech S. came to him asking to be killed, in just the manner he carried out the act.

Not the first time Junjie 's Story:

The German newspaper Bild published an interview with a 31-year-old sewage mechanic from Baden Wurttemberg who goes by the online name "Junjie." Junjie had met Detlef G on the cannibal website after posting that he "wanted to be grilled alive ... whether on the grill or on a spit, I don't care."

Junjie told Bild that he wanted to disappear without a trace after a fight with his parents and he'd met with Detlef G and had spent two weeks at the bed and breakfast. Detlef G cooked for him every day, preparing Asian and East German dishes, but ultimately decided against the requested grilling death because, he told the volunteer victim, Junjie was too young.

Speaking again for his silent brother, Councillor Doug Ford said Thursday that Mayor Rob Ford has not used heroin or associated with gang members since he was elected...

Doug Ford made his comments during an acrimonious media scrum in which he offered a series of non-sequiturs in response to questions about his brother’s behaviour. Ford accused the media of “Stalin-era Pravda journalism,” praised his brother’s dieting efforts, attacked the provincial Liberals as “crooks,” claimed his brother is more popular with average police officers than Chief Bill Blair, and suggested that there was a conspiracy to ruin his brother’s career among judges, the police, and political opponents.

“Isn’t that amazing? How all this timing took place? In my opinion, folks, this is a clear, clear agenda, very well-organized agenda, from some of our competitors, and in my opinion, they don’t want Rob Ford here,” Doug Ford said.

Friday, December 6, 2013

A top Ontario court has ruled that a woman cannot claim a $97,500 life insurance policy because the application by her late partner contained inaccurate information about his health.This decision by the Ontario Superior Court again highlights the importance of correctly answering health-related questions on insurance applications. You may think you are protected once a policy is issued, but that is not the case. This is because the insurance company might only check the details when you make a claim. ...The application also asked whether in the same period Foreman had been denied life or critical illness insurance, or had to pay a higher premium because of his health. Again, he answered no. But a later investigation by TD Canada Trust revealed that Transamerica had issued a life insurance policy at higher than normal premiums because of his health problems.

Foreman died from brain cancer on October 12, 2007, which was unrelated to any of the incorrectly answered health questions. However, TD Canada Trust refused to pay the policy proceeds because his death occurred within the 24 month “contestability period” after he completed the application.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

But for the first time in history, the OLG approached the winner instead of the other way around.

Through a months-long
investigation, the lottery corporation determined Hamilton resident
Kathryn Jones was the rightful winner, after searching transaction
history and security camera footage from a Shoppers Drug Mart in
Cambridge.

By:Kim MagiStaff Reporter, Published on Tue Dec 03 2013

The Ontario Lottery
and Gaming Corporation have announced the winner of a $50 million Lotto
Max prize that went unclaimed for a year.

But for the first time in history, the OLG approached the winner instead of the other way around.

Through a months-long
investigation, the lottery corporation determined Hamilton resident
Kathryn Jones was the rightful winner, after searching transaction
history and security camera footage from a Shoppers Drug Mart in
Cambridge.

“As you can imagine this has been both a very weird and wonderful journey,” Jones said at a press conference Tuesday morning.

Since the announcement of the winning ticket on Nov. 30 of last year, 435 people inquired about the prize, but Jones never did.

A self-described “random” lottery player, Jones admits she lost the ticket and still has no idea where it is.

“I have obviously, as you can imagine, I have looked in my house very thoroughly and it’s not there.”

Jones, an engineer, said she has two children in university who are taking the news in stride.

“My oldest son
lectured us on being responsible,” she said. “[He told us,] ‘I don’t
care about the money I just want to get through these exams.’”

Previously, Jones had only won $20 through gaming. She said her family has no plans for the money yet.

Through the
investigation, the OLG determined Jones purchased the only $16 ticket
sold at the Shoppers Drug Mart location that day, and her answers were
consistent with their questions regarding the purchase.

The corporation also
conducted an independent review after learning Jones’ sister owns a
retail outlet in Ottawa that sells lottery tickets.

“I feel very grateful . . . no one had to take that initiative [to find the winner],” she said.

As per their policy,
the OLG will hold the prize for another 30 days to make sure no one else
comes forward, although they are positive Jones is the rightful winner.

The largest unclaimed prize through the OLG prior to this was $5 million.

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About Me

The late great comedian George Carlin once said "life's a beach"...the world is changing at an alarming rate, for some , its a life or death struggle and for others its another media event on the nightly news, like the 44th President Barack Obamas landslide win in the worst world economy since the 1929 crash. And the killing of Osama by Obama!
and in 2016 Trump 45th President Of The USA. Bush's Republican playbook.
This blog is this bloggers effort to chronicle history as its being made,I will attempt to blog the events that fall under the categories of being strange,weird,curious,mediocre and the most significant events of your life and mine. These grabbed headlines during the years of your lifetime and mine.